Redshirt rule changes could allow USC flexibility with young players

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On Tuesday, college football insider David Ubben of The Athletic reported that FBS head coaches at the American Football Coaches Association convention in Charlotte, North Carolina unanimously voted that redshirt eligibility should be expanded from four games to nine.

That recommendation will be passed along to the Division I rules committees, which will decide if a change should be made to the redshirt rules.

Essentially, this would allow young players or transfers buried on the depth chart to see the field more and impact their team’s season more directly while still preserving an additional year of eligibility which could be spent after they have developed further.

If this rule is put into effect ahead of the 2026 season, it has profound implications for the USC football team. The Trojans have the No. 1 ranked recruiting class in the country coming to campus. With so many talented returners and impact transfers also set to compete with the freshman for playing time, it will likely be difficult for USC’s younger players to carve out a starting role on the team.

The ability for redshirt players to play in 9 games instead of just 4 would allow USC more opportunity to play its younger players, allow them to stay engaged and have a direct impact on winning games, and still allow them to think about their future and keep an extra year of eligibility in their pockets.

Basically, it allows USC to devise a more balanced career plan for all of the superstar freshman coming into the program. They can impact USC on the field immediately and still be a central part of USC’s plans for years to come. They are less likely to feel undervalued in the short term if they can see the field more during their freshman year, but USC can allow them that opportunity to be valuable in the short term while preserving their value in the long term.

Trojan fans, what do you think about this potential rule change? Would it be good for college football, and good for USC?

This article originally appeared on Trojans Wire: Eligibility for redshirt years could expand from four games to nine

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